2. Downhole Oil/Water Separation Part of the Oil Industry’s Future
Bruce R. Peachey, P.Eng., MCIC

3. Downhole Oil/Water Separation
Background and Basic Operation
What Has Already Been Done
What Can Be Done
What Might Be Done in Future

4. Water and Oil Production in Western Canada
Water Production
Oil Production

5. Downhole Oil/Water Separation
Problem - Wells being shut-in
Still producing oil
Producing too much water
Most North American wells WOR<10-20
North Sea/Offshore wells WOR<5-10
Middle East wells WOR<1-2
Solution - In Well Separation Downhole
Mechanical solution more reliable than shut-offs
Re-Inject water into producing formation

6. Basic Downhole Separation New Paradigm – 1991
Oil to Surface
Separator & Pump(s)
Basic Downhole Separation New Paradigm – 1991
Water to Injection
C-FER/NPEL

7. What Has Already Been Done
“DHOWS” Commercial Systems Developed with C-FER
ESP Commercial – AQWANOTTM and HydrosepTM
PCP (Weatherford) and Beam (Quinn) available
New “DHOWS” Versions in Trial Stage
Desanding (PCP and ESP)
Gravity Separation Systems - Beam Pumps
Texaco/Dresser, Quinn (Q-Sep)
Reverse Coning Without Separators

8. Basic “DHOWS” Prototypes
ESP - Electric Submersible Pump bfpd
Oil Rate went up 10-20% at same bottom-hole rates
Reduced water to surface by 97%
PCP - Progressing Cavity Pump bfpd
Reduced water to surface by 85%
Well previously in sporadic operation for about 3 yrs
Beam Pump bfpd
Demonstrated Gravity Separation

9. Basic “DHOWS” Installation - PanCanadian
C-FER/NPEL

10. Injection zone(s) above the production zone(s)
Uphole Reinjection
Pump System
Separator
Producing
Zone
Injection
Perforations
Injection zone(s) above the production zone(s)
ESP DHOWS

11. Dual Horizontal Well “DHOWS”
Also Installed With Uphole Injection
Talisman Energy Inc

12. “DHOWS” with C-FER Desander
Pump(s)
- ESP or PCP
Desander
De-oiler Hydrocyclone
To Surface
To Injection
Problem - Heavy Oil Wells
“Sand” Plugs Injection
Solution – Desanding
Sand & Oil to Surface
Water to Injection

13. Gravity Separation C-FER/NPEL Figure 14 - Gravity Separation
Simple but have to keep it that way
Limited to low volumes and large density differences
Supported by observations that oil droplets out of the reservoir are large upstream of pumps and equipment
C-FER/NPEL

14. NPEL/C-FER/Petro-Can
Coning Control
Louisiana State
Pump oil & water separately
NPEL/C-FER/Petro-Can
Pump oil & water together
Open more of well to oil
C-FER/NPEL

15. What Can Be Done
Reverse Coning with DHOWS
Re-Entry Drillout (Single Well)
Re-Entry Drilling (Multi-well)
Cross-Flooding Between Zones

16. Zone cross-flooding between wells
Re-Entry Drillout
Pump (Dual or Single;
ESP, PCP, Beam)
Separator
Injection Zone
Old Producing Zone
(Cement or Leave Open)
Horizontal Re-entry
Horizontal Producing Zone
Create or activate water disposal leg on producing well or producing leg on watered-out or water disposal well
Re-entry drillout or drilled and plugged-off during initial drilling program
Zone cross-flooding between wells

17. Re-Entry Drilling Use when zone between injector and producer is swept
Directionally drill to establish new producing or injection location(s)
Producing zone in well provides water for flood
Existing wellbore could be used as producing zone or injection zone
New Injection
Location
New Producing
Location
Existing Swept
Zone
Producing Well
Injector

18. Cross-Flooding
Multi-layered reservoir application
Some wells produce from lower zone & inject into upper zone
Other wells produce from upper and inject lower
Double the number of injectors or producers without drilling!

19. What Might be Done In Future
Offshore: Already under way. Gas Lift Proposal
High Volume: Larger capacity system under development
Lower Water cut to surface: Feasible for offshore subsea
Alternate Lift Systems: Flowing, Jet Pump
Alternate Separation Units: More options at low rates

20. Oilfield Water Management – Same Well Source/Injector/Recycle
Lake or
River Source
Cap rock
Oil Leg
Water Leg
Underlying Aquifer
DHOWS
Move toward
“Ideal”
Pump

21. The Middle East Water Challenge
Reservoirs contain billions of barrels
Recovery only projected to be 40% due to water
Most wells flowing only oil now
No water handling infrastructure
Wells “die” at 30-40% water cut
Major costs and infrastructure to operate with water
Solution needed:
Install in well and leave for years
No external power
No increase in water

22. Downhole Oil/Water Separation Summary
Positive experience is quickly building
All “DHOWS” wells show water reduced 85-97%
Still many applications to try
Plenty of potential and opportunity for new concepts
For more public info see:
Argonne National Labs –

23. Clients - NRCan & PERD, Oil & Gas Producers
Acknowledgments
Clients - NRCan & PERD, Oil & Gas Producers
Alliance Partners - C-FER Technologies Inc., KR Croasdale & Associates, R&D 2000, Scott-Can Industries, Colin Gosselin
Contact Networks - CSChE, PTAC, ACR, CIM, SPE, CAPP, individual colleagues
New Paradigm Affiliates - KeyTech Energy Inc., Blackline Oil Corp. & Avatar Systems Inc.
Family and Friends
I would like to acknowledge the support of:
New Paradigm’s clients particularly in their contributions to providing input to the PERD hydrocarbon report which forms the basis for most of this talk.
Alliance partners who have worked with me on numerous projects and supported the development of many new paradigms themselves.
The contact networks and collaborative organizations which New Paradigm supports through membership and other activities, and which support new paradigm development by sharing information, knowledge and facilitating R&D efforts
New Paradigm Affiliated companies which are small but growing through a focus on moving new oil and gas concepts and technologies into practical application.
And my family and friends who put up with having to continually look at everything with new eyes as new paradigms develop and old ones are left behind.

24. Contact Information
Advanced Technology Centre
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Edmonton, Alberta
Canada T6N 1G1
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